Memphis weather in January: Memphis, Tennessee: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Memphis in January has a normal high of 51°F and a normal low of 33°F, a daily mean of 42°F, rising from 51°F on the 1st to 52°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal January, 4.14 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 11°C and low of 1°C, 105 mm of precipitation and 2 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationMemphis International Airport
- Station IDUSW00013893
- Location35.06°N 89.99°W
- Elevation254 ft (77 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population610,919
- Jan 51° 33°
- Feb 56° 37°
- Mar 64° 44°
- Apr 73° 53°
- May 82° 62°
- Jun 89° 70°
- Jul 92° 74°
- Aug 92° 73°
- Sep 86° 66°
- Oct 75° 54°
- Nov 63° 43°
- Dec 53° 36°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Memphis in January?
The normal high is 51°F and the normal low 33°F, for a daily mean of 42.1°F. January is 2.7°F cooler than December and 4.0°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Memphis and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 1°F, from 51°F on January 1 to 52°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 3.7°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 38°F and 46°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 34%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 51°F | 34°F | 34% | 22% |
| January 8 | 50°F | 33°F | 34% | 22% |
| January 15 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% |
| January 22 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% |
| January 31 | 52°F | 34°F | 33% | 21% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 13)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 51°F | 34°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 2 | 51°F | 34°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 3 | 51°F | 34°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 4 | 51°F | 34°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 5 | 51°F | 34°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 6 | 50°F | 34°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 7 | 50°F | 33°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 8 | 50°F | 33°F | 34% | 22% | 10 h |
| January 9 | 50°F | 33°F | 34% | 22% | 10 h |
| January 10 | 50°F | 33°F | 34% | 22% | 10 h |
| January 11 | 50°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 12 | 50°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 13 | 50°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 14 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 15 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 16 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 17 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h |
| January 18 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 19 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 20 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 21 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 22 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 23 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 24 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| January 25 | 51°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 26 | 52°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 27 | 52°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 28 | 52°F | 34°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 29 | 52°F | 34°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 30 | 52°F | 34°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 20 min |
| January 31 | 52°F | 34°F | 33% | 21% | 10 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 51°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 33°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 4.14 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.9 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 15
- Daylight
- 9 h 50 min to 10 h 30 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 2
- Sunshine
- 69%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013893; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Memphis in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 33% on average, highest around January 1 (34%). In all, 4.14 in falls on 10 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in Memphis, 15 nights fall to freezing, 2 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 0.9 inches.
Snow falls on 1 day in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 1 day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013893.
How humid and windy is Memphis in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 51°F with 49% relative humidity and a dew point of 32°F; at 6 a.m. it is 38°F with 74% humidity. The wind averages 8.8 mph, most often from the west in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 38°F | 31°F | 74% | 7.9 mph | 41% |
| 9 a.m. | 41°F | 32°F | 68% | 9.8 mph | 31% |
| noon | 48°F | 32°F | 53% | 10.5 mph | 31% |
| 3 p.m. | 51°F | 32°F | 49% | 10.5 mph | 30% |
| 6 p.m. | 46°F | 32°F | 57% | 8.3 mph | 35% |
| 9 p.m. | 43°F | 32°F | 65% | 7.8 mph | 42% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013893. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for January in Memphis?
The warmest January temperature on Memphis's official record (since 1875) is 79°F, on January 12, 1890; the coldest is −8°F, on January 9, 1886. The wettest January brought 17.56 in (1937); the snowiest, 15.4 inches (1948).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 42.1°F: 2021 43.8°F (+1.7), 2022 40.3°F (−1.8), 2023 48.3°F (+6.2), 2024 37.6°F (−4.5), 2025 37.6°F (−4.5), 2026 38.9°F (−3.2). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 43.8°F | +1.7°F | 3.55 in |
| 2022 | 40.3°F | −1.8°F | 3.81 in |
| 2023 | 48.3°F | +6.2°F | 9.13 in |
| 2024 | 37.6°F | −4.5°F | 6.63 in |
| 2025 | 37.6°F | −4.5°F | 2.68 in |
| 2026 | 38.9°F | −3.2°F | 3.05 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MEMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013893. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Memphis compare across Tennessee?
Across the 116 places PlainClimate covers in Tennessee, January normal highs run from 43°F in Monterey to 52°F in Ardmore; Memphis's is 51°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.